i have a 97 cobra and am sure i will need a tune, theres only one problem. i havent the slightest clue what a tune even is. tune, dynotune, handheld tuner? what is all this craziness. i spun a rod bearing in my car so had the engine rebuilt. went with all factory interals, but did get a valve job. i also got MAC lt headers, o/r h-pipe, and catback. i swapped my gear for a 3.73 and got 275/40/17s all around. also bought msd coilpacks/wires and ngk plugs. will most likely buy bbk u/d pulleys. car also has moser 31 splines and detroit locker...if that matters. thatll probably be it for now. i do plan on getting CAI, throttle body, and other **** b4 the end of summer. i talked to a speed shop and thats probably where i should have got the answer to this question. he said 90 for a tune if i bring my own tuner in, or 350 for a dynotune. adynotune seems pretty straightfoward, and simple on my end. pay the man and hell fix it. he should have his own tuner and just plug it into my car, right? will i need 2 get a tune in a few months after i put a few more mods on, if so arent i better off buying my own and learning it? i am totally lost and any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks guys, i know some1 will help me out.......right? o yea, also have 2 take emissions as soon as car is ready

 

ok, for the gear switch, u'll need a tune to correct the speedometer. as for the cai just go w/sumthin' cheap, they all do basically the same thing. and as for the tune issue...personally i'd try to wait and get a dyno tune after ya get all the stuff you want to get done. if you're planning on some major mods that is...

 

ok, a tuner such as an sct xcal2 allows for many different things to happen. when the guy from the shop said bring in your own tuner and get a tune its just that. he will use your tuner, provided you have one, and tune your car, he "is" or i should say "should" use a dyno for this. thats the only way to know if power is really being made. different things get adjusted in a tune such as air/ fuel ratio, spark advance, things like that. all in the name of more power. now the higher priced "dynotune" as he put it is the cost of the tuning plus a new shiney hand held, such as an xcal2 as previously metioned if you dont have one. as far as getting a tune every few months, it all depends on the mods you add on after your last tune. if a specific mod is going to alter your A/F ratio and make you run lean for example, then yes get a tune. but if is something minor then dont feel as if you MUST get it done asap. i hope this answers some questions you are having.

 

oh, hey while we are on the subject of tunes, and not to hijack your thread 32vracer...but with SCT's 4-bank eliminator chip, can most shops w/a dyno re-flash those settings? basically, if i went to a shop, told them to redo the tunes (since they're mail order...prolly not the best quality) would it be worth the cost? and could they do it?

 

kinda depends on the shop. Many shops are single product types and they'll use one of a handful of brands... sct and diablo are the biggies as far as chip and tuner makers go. Find out what they use, then go out and find a Diablo Predator or a SCT Xcal2 as appropriate on the used market. Make sure the previous user returned to stock or it'll make your life hard. They'll know what that means. Make sure that your tuner can upload a custom tune to the handheld. that way you can tinker with your tune without having to pull the damn computer out of the kick panel (which is not a big deal but it becomes irritating after a few times).

 

If you have an amp in your car dont get the UD pullies as when you have the AC, lights and stereo on it will not charge like it should. Im taking mine off.